Ingredients

Angel Food Cake

Bananas Foster

4and 1/2 Bananas

1/2CupButter

4TablespoonsBrown Sugar

1TablespoonSpiced Rum

Caramel Whipped Cream

1CupWhipping Creamliquid, not already whipped

2TablespoonsCaramel Topping

Instructions

First, make the angel food cake. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the flour and 3/4 cup of the sugar together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. Beat the egg whites, salt, and vanilla extract together until they are foamy and full of tiny bubbles, takes about 3 minutes. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until the mixture can hold stiff peaks and becomes relatively shiny. Be prepared, this will take a loooong time, it took me about 10 minutes of constant electric mixing. Do not be impatient, though, as it is key that the egg whites are whipped to this state, otherwise the cake will fall flat.

Once the egg whites reach this stage, gradually add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, mixing well after each addition. Add the mashed banana and the flour mixture, mixing gently until just combined. Pour the batter into either (5) 5-inch greased cake pans or (2) 8 or 9-inch greased cake pans. Bake the 5-inch cakes for 15 to 25 minutes and the 8 or 9-inch cakes for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for at least an hour before you remove them from their pans. This helps them retain their structure. When you remove them from the pans, it helps to use a flexible rubber spatula to loosen the edges.

While the cakes are cooling, begin making the caramel whipped cream. This is wonderfully simple. Pour the whipping cream into a medium-sized bowl and add the caramel. Beat with an electric mixer on high, and try to leave the top two-thirds of the beaters exposed to help whip air into the cream. Mix until the cream turns fluffy and sticks in the beaters when they are removed from the bowl, like in the picture above. Refrigerate.

Now it is time to make the bananas foster. Peel the bananas and cut them in half lengthwise, then slice them into 1/2 inch pieces. Set them aside. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over low heat. Once it is melted, whisk in 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar and raise the heat to medium-high, whisking the mixture constantly.

Once the brown sugar begins to caramelize, after a few minutes of heating and stirring, add the bananas and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar over the top of them. Mix well, and allow to cook for about 5 minutes more, letting the butter sizzle and stirring a few times a minutes to ensure that the bananas cook evenly.

Some of the banana pieces may break apart in the heat, and that is okay, but you do not want all of them to break apart. For the most part, they should soften but hold their shape, not disintegrate. Add the tablespoon of rum and mix well. Remove the pan from heat and set aside.

Assembling the cake is very straightforward. Take a layer of the angel food cake and rub the brown crumbs off the side, which should come off easily if you greased the pan well enough. This is just to make it look whiter on the outside, if you don't mind the golden crumbs then feel free to let it be. Using a long knife, cut the golden brown exposed top off the cakes and set them aside for snacking.

Place a cake layer on the serving plate. Put the desired amount of bananas foster on top of the cake, (remember, you will be stacking more layers on top to try so keep the distribution nice and flat and smooth), and then spread your desired amount of whipping cream on top of the bananas foster. Place another layer of angel food cake on top, and start the process over again. It is okay if a little bit oozes out the sides, it just makes it look tastier.

Once you have assembled all the layers, put a nice dollop of bananas foster on top of the cake, then more whipped cream, and then another dollop of bananas foster to top it off. Serve immediately, as bananas don't oxidize well.